4th International Paleontological Congress web

El Comité Organizador del 4th International Palaeontological Congress (IPC) , tiene el agrado de comunicarles que ya está disponible la página web del Congreso. El mismo tendrá lugar en la ciudad de Mendoza del 28 de septiembre al 3 de octubre de 2014. 

 El 4th IPC será el primero en realizarse en el continente americano y esperamos una asistencia de unas 1000 personas, reuniendo a los especialistas más destacados y referentes internacionales en una amplia gama de líneas de investigación en paleontología. 

 El Comité Organizador considera un verdadero orgullo que Argentina sea anfitrión de una reunión de tal magnitud y la elección de la ciudad de Mendoza como sede, con el CONICET-Mendoza como institución anfitriona. 

 Les invitamos a visitar nuestra página web  y esperamos contar con Uds. en este congreso. 

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On behalf of the Organizing Committee we cordially invite you to attend the 4th International Palaeontological Congress, to be held in Mendoza, Argentina, from September 28 to October 3, 2014, hosted by the Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET Mendoza and partner organizations.

The International Palaeontological Congress (IPC) is a global meeting devoted to Palaeontology throughout the world. It takes place every four years under the auspices of the International Palaeontological Association. After three previous editions in Sydney (2002), Beijing (2006) and London (2010), it will now come to the American continent. The 4th IPC will reflect the directions of palaeontology in the 21st century.

The meeting will be held in Mendoza, an attractive and easily accessible city in the mid-west of  Argentina, which offers a wide range of professional and recreational opportunities to participants of all backgrounds. Mendoza is renowned for its location at the foot of the Andes, near the highest peak of the Western Hemisphere, the Aconcagua. The whole province of Mendoza provides many tourist attractions to explore and it is well known for being one of the foremost wine-producing regions in the world.

Local organizers are planning a comprehensive congress with an intellectually stimulating scientific program. The meeting will provide opportunities for participants to present and share experiences, explore new research directions and debate topics among specialists from across the globe. A varied array of meeting styles incorporating a combination of plenary lectures, symposia on leading issues, interactive workshops, technical sessions and short courses, promises to provide sessions of interest for all attendants.

Delegates will have the opportunity to enjoy diverse conference excursions to rich and well-known Argentine palaeontological sites. These field trips will not only include visits to important scientific localities but also to regional tourist attractions. The schedule of field trips covers superbly exposed sedimentary successions representing a great diversity of marine and continental palaeoenvironments and encompasses nearly the whole Phanerozoic stratigraphic record.

We look forward to welcoming you to Mendoza

Academia's obsession with quantity

• Joern Fischer, Euan G. Ritchie, and Jan Hanspach¹

• ¹ Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lueneburg, Scharnhorststrasse 1, 21335 Lueneburg, Germany
• ² Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia

• Available online 20 June 2012. TREE 27(9): 473–474
• http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2012.05.010,
•  

            We live in the era of rankings. Universities are being ranked, journals are being ranked, and researchers are being ranked. In this era of rankings, the value of researchers is measured in the number of their papers published, the citations they received, and the volume of grant income earned. Academia today is governed by one simple rule: more is better.

            The idea to reward those who are productive seems fine at face value, but that idea has become ideology. Metrics of quantity once were the means to assess the performance of researchers, but now they have become an end in their own right. Ironically, once individuals actively pursue certain indicators of performance, those indicators are no longer useful as independent yardsticks of what they were once meant to measure [1] and [2].

            Only a few years ago, a researcher publishing ten papers a year was considered highly productive. Now, leading researchers in ecology and evolution publish 20, 30, or, in some cases, over 40 papers a year, with a tendency for further increases. This volume of papers is attained via large laboratory groups and research consortia, which in turn require massive amounts of funding. Given that successful fundraising is a trusted performance indicator in its own right, funding keeps going to some of the biggest groups, keeping them big or growing them even further. However, a bigger group of researchers does not necessarily produce better science, just more of it [3]. Thus, some research themes of solid (but not necessarily exceptional) quality can dominate the literature, just because they produce many papers. The type of work that ecologists produce is also different compared with just a decade or two ago: papers are shorter; reviews are increasingly quantitative not qualitative; the scope of papers has shifted from local to global [4]; modeling papers are replacing field-based papers [5]; and more papers focus on black-versus-white analyses because there is no journal (or mental) space for nuanced discussions. A recent high-profile example is the polarized debate on whether policy should encourage land sparing or land sharing [6] and [7].

            The picture we paint is, of course, stylized. We acknowledge that there are exceptions among the most productive academics, the largest research groups, and the highest impact journals. However, despite exceptions, the overall trend is deeply concerning. Academics are increasingly busy with more papers, more grants, and more emails to keep the machinery going. The modern mantra of quantity is taking a heavy toll on two prerequisites for generating wisdom: creativity and reflection.

            Creativity greatly benefits from an environment that is supportive, collaborative, and facilitates trialing new approaches, but suffers from working under excessive pressure [8]. Similarly, reflection is vital for questioning assumptions and learning from experience [9]. The gradual loss of creativity and reflection necessarily will affect our science. Many past landmark papers were full of good ideas, but were speculative and discursive [10] and [11]. Would such papers be published today and, if they were, who would read them in depth? Is it possible to obtain and communicate deep insights via ‘twitteresque’ research sound bites?

            Beyond the science itself, the quantity mantra is taking a toll on the quality of human interactions and relationships. Supervisors are increasingly too busy to discuss ideas at length with their research students. Academics work long hours, a supposed requirement for success [12], as if insight, motivation, and wisdom could not also arise from more balanced and family-friendly lives. The stressful environment of academia leads to many talented young people opting out of academia, and can lead to burnout in those who stay.

            Along with political and spiritual leaders, academic leaders have a responsibility to help society move towards a better future, where we understand the world better, and use that understanding to live a ‘good life’. However, how can we do this if our professional rat race just mirrors the ills of society at large? Starting with our own university departments (but not stopping there), it is time to take stock of what we are doing. We must recreate spaces for reflection, personal relationships, and depth. More does not equal better.

Acknowledgments

We greatly appreciate insightful comments by Dale Nimmo and Andrew Bennett.

References

o    1. P.B. Landres et al. Ecological uses of vertebrate indicator species: a critique

o    Conserv. Biol., 2 (1988), pp. 316–329

o     

o    2. D.B. Lindenmayer et al. Indicators of biodiversity for ecologically sustainable forest management Conserv. Biol., 14 (2000), pp. 941–950

o    3. C.J. Lortie et al. Good news for the people who love bad news: an analysis of the funding of the top 1% most highly cited ecologists Oikos, 121 (2012), pp. 1005–1008

o    4. J. Fischer et al. Continental-scale ecology versus landscape-scale case studies Front. Ecol. Environ., 9 (2011), p. 430

o    5. D.B. Lindenmayer, G.E. Likens Losing the culture of ecology Bull. Ecol. Soc. Am., 92 (2011), pp. 245–246

o    6. J. Fischer et al.Conservation: limits of land sparing Science, 334 (2011), p. 593

o    7. B. Phalan et al. Reconciling food production and biodiversity conservation: land sharing and land sparing compared Science, 333 (2011), pp. 1289–1291

o    8. C.E. Shalley, L.L. Gilson, What leaders need to know: a review of social and contextual factors that can foster or hinder creativity Leadership Q., 15 (2004), pp. 33–53.

o    9. D. Boud et al. Promoting reflection in learning: a model D. Boud (Ed.) et al., Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning, Kogan Page (1985), pp. 18–40

o    10. H.A. Gleason The individualistic concept of plant association Am. Midland Nat., 21 (1939), pp. 92–110

o    11. C.S. Holling. Resilience and stability of ecological systems Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst., 4 (1973), pp. 1–23.

12. E.O. Wilson (Ed.), Concilience, Knopf (1998)

VII Encuentro Anual biólogos en red

Cambio de fecha!

15 y 16 de noviembre de 2012

Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales 

Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata

INSCRIPCIÓN  y  ENVÍO de RESÚMENES     Trabajos Inéditos y No Inéditos

La inscripción (asistente o expositor) y envío de resúmenes se realizará completando el formulario vía web en el sitio  http://vii-ber-2012.blogspot.com.ar/  pestaña "formulario de inscripción"

La presentación de resúmenes deberá enmarcarse dentro de alguna de las siguientes áreas:  

Biodiversidad y Sistemática - Ecología de Poblaciones y Comunidades - Morfología y Fisiología de Organismos - Bioquímica, Microbiología y Biología Celular - Paleobiología y Evolución - Ecotoxicología y Contaminación - Bioingeniería, Tecnología y Bioinformática - Educación y Extensión.

FECHAS   IMPORTANTES
Envío de resúmenes:  16 de julio al 23 de agosto. Inscripción “asistentes” hasta el día del evento (inscribirse preferentemente antes del evento)

ACTIVIDADES VII BER 2012

Charla-Debate: Dr. Enrique Martínez "Rol del INTI en el desarrollo de la ciencia y tecnología en 

Argentina"

Charla Especial Biología-Ingeniería: Dra. Silvia Cere “Materiales metálicos como implantes intracorpóreos permanentes”

Simposio Conservación: 

Dra. Andrea Clausen (INTA-Balcarce, Conservación de germoplasma)

Lic. Pablo Denuncio (UNMdP, Mamíferos marinos - delfín franciscano)

Dra. Lía Monti (UNT-UNaM, Introducción de plantas exóticas en el Bosque Atlántico)

Dr. Agustín Paviolo (UNaM, Conservación del yaguareté en Misiones)

Presentaciones Orales 

Sesión de Pósters (con recorrido por trabajos destacados)

CHARLAS

Rol del INTI en el desarrollo de la ciencia y tecnología en Argentina

Dr. Enrique Martínez

Es Ingeniero Químico de la UBA, con formación económica posterior. Fue Presidente del Instituto  Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI, 2002 al 2011), Secretario de la Mediana Empresa de La Nación (2000 – 2001 y 1985-87), Diputado Nacional (1999-2000) y ha desarrollado actividades vinculadas con la educación y las PyME en el ámbito público y privado, durante 30 años.

Materiales metálicos como implantes intracorpóreos permanentes

Dra. Silvia Cere

Es Ingeniera Química, Doctora en Ciencia de Materiales de la Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Actualmente es Profesora Adjunta con dedicación exclusiva en la Facultad de Ingeniería (UNMdP) e Investigadora Independiente de CONICET.  Las líneas de investigación que desarrolla están centradas en la modificación superficial de implantes materiales para ser usados en cirugía ortopédica e implantes dentales y en el desarrollo de recubrimientos ambientalmente amigables.  

Comisión Organizadora VII BER 2012: Juan Pablo Córdoba, Natalia Correa Aragunde, Pablo Cortez Tornello, Andrea Elissamburu, Lisandro Escalada, María Belén Fernandez, Gabriela Gonorazky, María José Iglesias, Luciana Lanteri, Máximo Lorenzo, Victoria Martín, Julieta Mendieta, Celeste Molina Favero, Pedro Negri, Luciana Pagnussat, Victoria Revuelta, Luciana Robuschi, Germán Schrott, Cecilia Terrile, Vanesa Tossi, Fernando Villareal.

Propuesta de trabajo: solicitud de beca y tesis doctoral en sistemática de roedores sigmodontinos fósiles

CRICÉTIDOS FÓSILES DEL MIO-PLIOCENO DE ARGENTINA: DIVERSIDAD Y RADIACIÓN ADAPTATIVA

           Los roedores sigmodontinos (Mammalia, Cricetidae) son componente fundamentales de la biota neotropical. Con una diversidad actual que supera los 80 géneros y 400 especies, su registro se remonta al Mioceno más tardío. En 1972 Osvaldo Reig concluyó su tesis doctoral describiendo buena parte de los fósiles conocidos para el grupo. Sin embargo, en los 40 años transcurridos, se han coleccionado abundantes nuevos materiales que permanecen sin estudiar. A la par, nuestra comprensión de la filogenia y radiación de los sigmodontinos ha cambiado en forma sustancial, no sólo con el concurso de información molecular sino también de nuevas aproximaciones morfológicas.

            En este contexto, estamos buscando un candidato (biólogo o con título afín) para hacer su tesis doctoral con el registro fósil de los sigmodontinos en latitudes medias de Argentina. Se trata de un proyecto de neto corte sistemático, aunque no excluye inferencias paleoecológicas, tafonómicas y bioestratigráficas. El material a estudiar se encuentra ya disponible en colecciones, pero se realizarán campañas de prospección con el objeto de obtener material adicional. Asimismo, se requerirá viajar para consultar diversos repositorios.

            El lugar de trabajo sería el INSUGEO, Tucumán. Este proyecto se enmarca en un subsidio PIP-CONICET aprobado recientemente por lo que contará con 3 años de financiación (2013-2015).

            Aquellos interesados -que cumplimenten los requisitos ordinarios para solicitar una beca doctoral de CONICET tipo 1 en cuanto a edad, promedio, etc.- son invitados a escribir un breve mensaje de intención acompañado de curriculum vitae a Pablo Ortiz (peortiz@uolsinectis.com.ar), cc. Ulyses Pardiñas (ulyses@cenpat.edu.ar). 

SIMPOSIO: Estructura de las comunidades de carnívoros de América del Sur en el presente y el pasado

II CONGRESO LATINOAMERICANO DE MASTOZOOLOGÍA

SIMPOSIO: Estructura de las comunidades de carnívoros de América del Sur en el presente y el pasado

ORGANIZADORES:  Dr. Javier Pereira y Dr. Francisco Prevosti

            El simposio reúne a distintos especialistas que se encuentren trabajando con mamíferos carnívoros sudamericanos del pasado y el presente. El simposio brindará un marco ideal para generar un ambiente de discusión e interacción entre investigadores especializados en distintos enfoques y temáticas.

Temas incluidos:

• Partición de nicho en comunidades de carnívoros sudamericanos

• Carnívoros introducidos (visón, perros domésticos), presas introducidas (ganado, liebre europea) y su efecto sobre las comunidades de carnívoros sudamericanos
• Controles top down y bottom up en ecosistemas sudamericanos
• Efecto de la fragmentación y pérdida del hábitat sobre las comunidades de carnívoros sudamericanos
• Métodos para reconstruir la paleoautoecología y la paleoauntosinecología de las comunidades del pasado.
• Cambio de la estructura de las comunidades de carnívoros a lo largo del tiempo geológico.
• Competencia y desplazamiento ecológico entre distintos linajes de carnívoros a lo largo del Cenozoico tardío.
• Efecto de los cambios ambientales sobre las faunas de mamíferos, y en especial sobre los gremios de carnívoros durante el Cenozoico.

            Envió de resúmenes: deben ser enviados a través de la página del congreso (http://www.sarem2012.com.ar/resumen_form.php) indicando que desean participar del simposio. Fecha límite: 17/8/2012.

Oferta de trabajo: PH.D. POSITION IN ISOTOPIC GEOCHEMISTRY AND VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY

 Paleoecology and evolution of the carnivorous mammalian faunas of South America from the Late Miocene to the Pleistocene: Insights from stable isotopic signatures (13C, 15N, 18O) in fossil bones and teeth


       We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate for a 3-year project funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) at the Department of Geosciences of the University of Tübingen (Germany). The position is formally classified as 50% BAT IIa/E13. South America was isolated during most of the Tertiary and developed a very particular mammalian fauna. In contrast to other continents, the carnivore adaptive zone was filled by crocodiles, large snakes and birds, and metatherian mammals (Sparassodonta). Sparassodonta was diverse during the Tertiary with a broad range of sizes, but this diversity decreased towards the late Miocene and the group became extinct at the middle Pliocene. The cause of this decline and extinction may have been immigration of placental Carnivores to South America, which putatively competed with the sparassodonts (Ecological Competitive Displacement Hypothesis, ECD). This hypothesis was recently criticized and the Ecological Replacement (ER) hypothesis was proposed, which postulates that newcomers (placental carnivores) filled ecological niches left empty after the extinction of previous occupants (marsupial carnivores) due to other causes, such as environmental changes. This subject is currently being studied using morphometrics, which, however, may be biased by a
phylogenetic signal.
     Here we propose using stable isotopes (13C, 15N, 18O) to complement the study of the evolution of the carnivore guild during the late Cenozoic in Argentina. This purely phenotypic approach will yield direct information on actual ecological changes and allow to test the ER and ECD scenarios.


   
       The ideal candidate will be highly motivated and have a stated interest and/or experience especially in bone and tooth isotopic geochemistry to reconstruct paleodiets. Previous degrees in geology or biology are therefore advantageous. Whereas proficient English skills are mandatory as well as decent knowledge of Spanish (fieldwork and sampling will take place in Argentina), knowledge of German is helpful, particularly for social interactions, but not necessary. We explicitly welcome national and international candidates. The University of Tübingen, one of Germany’s Elite Universities, is located in the historic university town of Tübingen in the southwest of Germany, approximately one hour south of the metropolitan region of Stuttgart, and close to the Black Forest and the Swabian Jura. The Biogeology Workgroup of the Department of Geosciences provides a dynamic and highly international work environment.
       Please send your application, including CV, list of publications, a list of three referees, and a short letter of motivation to the address below, preferably by email. We will start reviewing applications by the end of August and ask the referees of selected candidates for letters of support by the beginning of September. The project is officially scheduled to start October 1, 2012, but the starting date can be delayed to the winter or early spring of 2013.



Prof. Dr. Hervé Bocherens
(herve.bocherens@uni-tuebingen.de)
Department of Geosciences
University of Tübingen
Hölderlinstr. 12
72074 Tübingen
Germany